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High Sheriff of Belfast

Judicial representative in Belfast, Northern Ireland

Summary

Judicial representative in Belfast, Northern Ireland

FieldValue
postHigh Sheriff
bodyBelfast
insigniasize200
insigniacaptionBelfast City Coat of Arms
incumbentFiona McAteer
incumbentsince14 January 2025
styleHigh Sheriff
appointerSecretary of State
(on the advice of the Council)
termlengthOne year
inauguralSir James Henderson
formation1900

(on the advice of the Council)

The High Sheriff of Belfast is a title and position which was created in 1900 under the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898, with Sir James Henderson the first holder. Like other high sheriff positions, it is largely a ceremonial post today. The current high sheriff is Councillor Fiona McAteer, who took office in January 2025.

The high sheriff is theoretically the judicial representative of the King in the city, while the Lord Lieutenant of Belfast is the Sovereign's personal representative. Today, the office is now largely symbolic, with few formal duties other than deputising for the Lord Mayor of Belfast at official events. Irish Nationalists and Republican council members generally do not allow their names to go forward for the nomination, as the post is seen as a reflection of the city's imperialist past.

Appointments are made annually by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, who asks the outgoing high sheriff and Belfast City Council to suggest the names of three people who are deemed suitable to hold the position. In recent years the council has suggested only one candidate, who is normally a member of the council. The high sheriff's term of office runs from January to December, which is distinct from the term of office for the lord mayor and deputy lord mayor who take up office in May or June each year.

Prior to 1900, sheriffs were elected by the city council.

List of high sheriffs

20th century

  • 1900: Sir James Henderson
  • 1901: Otto Jaffe
  • 1902: Samuel Lawther
  • 1903: Robert Anderson
  • 1904: Henry Hutton
  • 1905: Henry O'Neill
  • 1906: William Frederick Coates
  • 1907: Peter O'Connell
  • 1908: John McCaughey
  • 1909: Francis Curley
  • 1910: George Doran
  • 1911: Crawford McCullagh
  • 1912: James Johnston
  • 1913: Frank Workman
  • 1914: John Tyrrell
  • 1915: John Campbell White
  • 1916: Robert Dunlop
  • 1917: William Tougher
  • 1918: Cllr Robert M Gaffikin JP
  • 1919: Samuel Mercier
  • 1920: William George Turner
  • 1921: Joseph Davison
  • 1922: Henry McKeag
  • 1923: James Augustine Duff
  • 1924: Hugh McLaurin JP
  • 1925: William Macartney
  • 1926: Oswald Jamison (Nationalist)
  • 1927: Samuel Cheyne
  • 1928: Julia McMordie
  • 1929: Samuel Hall-Thompson
  • 1930: James McKinney
  • 1931: C. Lindsay
  • 1932: F. J. Holland
  • 1933: Richard Milligan Harcourt
  • 1934: James Dunlop Williamson
  • 1935: George Ruddell Black
  • 1936: Thomas Edward McConnell
  • 1937: Thomas Loftus Cole?
  • 1938: Thomas Loftus Cole
  • 1939: Samuel Boyd Thompson
  • 1940: William Dowling
  • 1941: Percival Brown
  • 1942: Tommy Henderson
  • 1943: Frederick William Kennedy
  • 1944: Alfred Hinds
  • 1945: Robert Brown Alexander
  • 1946: Cecil McKee
  • 1947: W. E. G. Johnston
  • 1948: James Henry Norritt
  • 1949: Robert Harcourt
  • 1950: Stuart Knox Henry
  • 1951: William Harpur
  • 1952: Andrew Scott
  • 1953: Robert Pierce
  • 1954: William Frederick Neill
  • 1955?: Robert Kinahan
  • 1956: Walter H. Cooper
  • 1957: Herbert Jefferson
  • 1958: Florence Elizabeth Breakie
  • 1959: Martin Kelso Wallace
  • 1960: William Duncan Geddis
  • 1961: William Jenkins
  • 1962: William John McCracken
  • 1963: Joseph Foster Cairns
  • 1964: William Christie
  • 1965: John Abbott Lewis
  • 1966: Matthew Thomas Orr
  • 1967: Thomas Rea
  • 1968: Hugh Robert Brown
  • June 1969-June 1970: Myles Humphreys
  • June 1970-June 1971: John William Kennedy
  • June 1971-June 1972: Francis Wills Watson
  • June 1972-June 1973: Walter Shannon
  • June 1973–June 1974: Alfred Walker Shaw
  • 1975: James Stewart
  • 1976: William Cecil Corry
  • 1977: John Allen
  • 1978: John Carson
  • 1979: Grace Bannister
  • 1980: Michael Brown
  • 1981: Muriel Pritchard
  • 1982: Alfie Ferguson
  • 1983: Donnell Deeny
  • 1984: Pauline Whitley
  • 1985: Andrew Cairns
  • 1985–1986: Herbert Ditty
  • 1987–1989: Post vacant
  • 1990: Jim Kirkpatrick
  • 1991: Joe Coggle
  • 1992: Thomas Patton
  • 1993: Jim Walker
  • 1994: Mary Margaret Crooks
  • 1995: John Parkes
  • 1995: Joe Coggle
  • 1996: Steve McBride
  • 1997: Nelson McCausland
  • 1998: Jim Clarke
  • 1999: Robin Newton

21st century

  • 2000: Tom Campbell
  • 2001: Alan Crowe
  • 2002: Wallace Browne
  • 2003: Margaret Clarke
  • 2004: Ruth Patterson
  • 2005: David Browne
  • 2006: William Humphrey
  • 2007: Jim Kirkpatrick
  • 2008: Margaret McKenzie
  • 2009: Frank McCoubrey
  • 2010: Christopher Stalford
  • 2011: Ian Adamson
  • 2012: May Campbell
  • 2013: Brian Kingston
  • 2014: Lydia Patterson
  • 2015: Gareth McKee
  • 2016: Jim Rodgers
  • 2017: Thomas Haire
  • 2018: Carole Howard
  • 2019: Tommy Sandford
  • 2020: Nicola Angela Verner
  • 2021: Michael Andrew Long
  • 2022 John Hussey
  • 2023 John Kyle
  • 2024 Sammy Douglas
  • 2025 Fiona McAteer

References

References

  1. "High Sheriff". [[Belfast City Council]].
  2. "Minutes of Monday, 1st November, 2010". Belfast City Council.
  3. "High Sheriff". Belfast City Council.
  4. [http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=169&letter=I JewishEncyclopedia.com – IRELAND]
  5. "Mount Vernon Community".
  6. "City and County Borough of Belfast". Lennon Wylie.
  7. "City High Sheriffs", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 7 February 1903
  8. "City High Sheriffs", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 13 February 1904
  9. "New High Sheriff of Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 3 February 1905
  10. Anthony C. Hepburn, ''A Past Apart''
  11. "City High Sheriffs", ''Irish Times'', 29 January 1908
  12. "City High Sheriffs", ''Irish Times'', 30 January 1909
  13. "Judges leave Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 28 March 1910
  14. [http://www.election.demon.co.uk/stormont/biographies.html Biographies of Members of the Northern Ireland House of Commons]
  15. "The High Sheriff List", ''Irish Times'', 27 January 1912
  16. "City High Sheriffs", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 8 February 1913
  17. "City High Sheriffs", ''Irish Times'', 31 January 1914
  18. "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 6 February 1915
  19. "City High Sheriffs in Ireland", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 5 February 1916
  20. "Irish City High Sheriffs", ''Irish Times'', 31 January 1917
  21. "Viceroy in Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 7 August 1918
  22. "Irish City High Sheriffs", ''Irish Times'', 1 February 1919
  23. ''[[Who was who]]'' (1967)
  24. "High Sheriff's luncheon", ''Irish Times'', 21 July 1921
  25. "Mr. Alexander McKeag, Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 8 July 1924
  26. (3 March 1922). "The Lord Lieutenant". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  27. (2 February 1923). "His Grace the Governor". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  28. "Civic day in Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 23 July 1924
  29. (1 February 1924). "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  30. (23 July 1924). "Lord Mayor's Luncheon (Royal Visit)". Northern Whig.
  31. "Shrievalty of Belfast", ''Weekly Irish Times'', 31 January 1925
  32. (6 February 1925). "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  33. "Four times Lord Mayor", ''Irish Times'', 25 January 1926
  34. (5 February 1926). "Ministry of Home Affairs for Northern Ireland". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  35. "Northern Ireland", ''Irish Times'', 24 February 1927
  36. "Civic affairs in Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 21 January 1930
  37. "Naval officers' visit to Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 19 June 1931
  38. "Belfast Lord Mayoralty", ''Irish Times'', 23 January 1932
  39. ''Belfast Gazette'', 10 February 1933
  40. ''Belfast Gazette'', 2 February 1934, p.1
  41. ''Belfast Gazette'', 7 June 1935
  42. ''Belfast Gazette'', 10 June 1938
  43. ''Belfast Gazette'', 9 June 1939
  44. ''Belfast Gazette'', 6 June 1941
  45. ''Belfast Gazette'', 4 June 1943
  46. ''Belfast Gazette'', 2 June 1944, p.118
  47. "Tributes paid to ex-Lord Mayor; Obituary", ''[[Belfast News Letter]]'', 7 January 2003
  48. ''Belfast Gazette'', 31 May 1946
  49. ''Belfast Gazette'', 13 June 1947
  50. ''Belfast Gazette'', 11 June 1948
  51. ''Belfast Gazette'', 16 June 1950
  52. ''Belfast Gazette'', 15 June 1951, p.1
  53. ''Belfast Gazette'', 13 June 1952
  54. ''Belfast Gazette'', 19 June 1953
  55. ''Water and Water Engineering'', Vol.64, p.84
  56. ''Belfast Gazette'', 15 June 1956
  57. ''Belfast Gazette'', 14 June 1957
  58. ''Belfast Gazette'', 27 June 1958
  59. ''Belfast Gazette'', 12 June 1959
  60. ''Belfast Gazette'', 17 June 1960
  61. ''Belfast Gazette'', 16 June 1961
  62. ''Belfast Gazette'', 15 June 1962
  63. ''Belfast Gazette'', 14 June 1963
  64. "Bethany Congregation".
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  66. ''Belfast Gazette'', 17 June 1966
  67. ''Belfast Gazette'', 16 June 1967
  68. (14 June 1968). "Appointments". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  69. "[http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/imported/former-lord-mayor-sir-myles-dies-at-72-13844140.html Former Lord Mayor Sir Myles dies at 72]", ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'', 23 February 1998
  70. (26 June 1970). "Appointments". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  71. (25 June 1971). "Appointments". [[Belfast Gazette]].
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  73. (30 June 1972). "Appointments". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  74. (29 June 1973). "Ministry of Home Affairs". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  75. Fionnuala O'Connor, "Man at the door without much hope", ''Irish Times'', 20 November 1975
  76. ''Belfast Gazette'', 9 January 1976
  77. ''Irish Times'', 22 February 1977, p.4
  78. "South-east SF group in Shankill tour", ''Irish Times'', 12 October 1978
  79. "Belfast woman elected mayor", ''[[Irish Times]]'', 2 June 1981
  80. "Come shopping, appeals Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 2 December 1980
  81. (11 January 1980). "Northern Ireland Office". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  82. "Woman installed as High Sheriff of Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 7 February 1981
  83. "Catholic voted sheriff", ''Irish Times'', 2 November 1982
  84. "New Belfast High Sheriff", ''Irish Times'', 4 February 1984
  85. (6 January 1984). "Northern Ireland Office". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  86. ''Belfast Gazette'', 28 December 1984
  87. ''Belfast Gazette'', 26 July 1985
  88. "Paisley reaffirms council boycott", ''Irish Times'', 26 November 1986
  89. "Belfast council set to end ban", ''Irish Times'', 23 February 1991
  90. "My Belfast Summer 2007".
  91. "Death of former Mayor of Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 21 October 1993
  92. ''Belfast Gazette'', 8 January 1993
  93. ''Belfast Gazette'', 7 January 1994
  94. "New High Sheriff for Belfast", ''Irish Times'', 27 February 1996
  95. [http://www.dup.org.uk/NelsonMcCausland.asp Nelson McCausland], [[Democratic Unionist Party]]
  96. Gary Grattan, "High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in", ''[[Belfast Telegraph]]'', 22 January 2003
  97. [http://archive.nics.gov.uk/rd/050708g-rd.htm Belfast Harbour Commissioners' Board Appointments] {{Webarchive. link. (13 December 2009 , Department for Regional Development)
  98. [http://www.allianceparty.org/pages/people-CAMPBELL-Tom.html Tom Campbell] {{Webarchive. link. (17 February 2009 , [[Alliance Party of Northern Ireland]])
  99. [http://archive.nics.gov.uk/hss/011011g-hss.htm Appointments of Members to Health and Social Services Councils]{{Dead link. (January 2026)
  100. "City Matters Summer 2005".
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  103. [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/lordmayordeputybiog.asp Deputy Lord Mayor David Browne] {{Webarchive. link. (28 May 2009 , [[Belfast City Council]])
  104. [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=713 New High Sheriff of Belfast to be sworn in], [[Belfast City Council]]
  105. [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=1140 New High Sheriff of Belfast sworn in], [[Belfast City Council]]
  106. link. (28 May 2009)
  107. "Youngest High Sheriff is sworn in at Belfast City Hall - Local & Nati…".
  108. [https://web.archive.org/web/20100729010622/http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/lordmayor/highsheriff.asp High Sheriff], [[Belfast City Council]]
  109. [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=2903 New High Sheriff sworn in], [[Belfast City Council]], 12 January 2012
  110. [http://www.belfastcity.gov.uk/news/news.asp?id=3316 New High Sheriff sworn in], [[Belfast City Council]], 21 January 2013
  111. "High Sheriff".
  112. {{London Gazette. (3 January 2020)
  113. (8 January 2021). "Appointment of Sheriffs". [[Belfast Gazette]].
  114. {{London Gazette. (9 January 2023)
  115. "Councillor Sammy Douglas appointed High Sheriff of Belfast".
  116. "High Sheriff - Belfast City Council".
Wikipedia Source

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